Air-ship.



PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906.

G. W. BYRON.

AIR SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1905.

zey

I VENTOR TED STATES ATEN'T OFFICE.

AiR-SHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed February 11,1905. Serial No. 245,276.

To all when it may (BUIMJI'I'IIH' Beit known that I, GEORGE'l/VEST BYnoN, of Washington, in the District of Columbia, havi invented certain new and useful improvements in Air-Ships; andl do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

his invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in air-ships.

The invention has for .its object the pro duction of an air-ship which will form minimum resistance to the wind-currents, whereby the control ofthe same is rendered possible.

A further object is to so locate the cabin or other place for the accommodation of passengers or freight as to afford the least possible resistance to the buoyancy of the air-ship.

A further object is to so position said cabin as to protect the same from the wind and other air currents, where by the drag of the aircurrents upon depending cages is obviated.

A further object is to provide means for assisting the air-ship in its initial movement incident to elevation and llight.

A further object is to produce an airship which combines the principles of the dirigible balloon and the aeroplane.

To these ends the invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view withthe upper suppleniental gas-bag removed. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3 3, Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, designates a frame formed of a pluralityof metal bars, to which are secured a plurality of gas-bags 1] 12, said gas-bags being arranged around .said frame so as to completely inclose the same to form a cabin or space for the acconnnodation of passengers or freight and also for any suitable motor. These gasbags may be of any preferred shape in plan, the bags 11 being show u as triangular in plan to formthc bow of. the ship, the remaining gas-bags being rectangular in plan. The gas-bags I1 are made of substantial wedge shape, being provided with a narrow exterior edge the thick ness of the bag, increasing to a maximum at its inner edge. It will be noted in this eonnection that the wedge formation is secured by arranging the bottom wall of each gasbag on huapproximately horizontal plane,

the top wall sloping upward from the narrow outer edge to the point of maximum thickness, at'which point the top and bottom walls are united by asuitable rtical wall .as shown. if desired, a passage-wa 13 may be arranged between the bags 1] and a similar passageway H between the rearmost bags H. As shown, the bars of frame 10 correspond in length to the dimensions of the several gasbags, the latter being secured to the horizontal bars 15 and the vertical bars 16, the latter forming the framework for the cabin. Said frame is provided with a ceirtrally-locafiii depending lmllastframe 17, which serves to aid in balancing the ship, a suitable stairway 18 leading from the cabin to the bottom rail of said lmllast-frame. whereby passengers may ascend or descend, At the forward corners of this ballast-frame are pivotally so cured bars or legs 1!), similar shorter bars or legs being pivoted to the rear corners of the machine, said bars or legs being designed to support the air-ship when resting upon the ground. I also provide a propeller 21 at the forward end of the gas-bags for the purpose of assisting in elevating or depressing the bow of the ship. Similar propellers 22 are also located on each side for guiding the ship laterally, and propellers 23 are located at the rear for the purpose of driving the ship for ward, said propellers being operated by any suitable motor. f i

if desired, when the load to be iransporlinl is unusually heavy I employ a supplemental gas-bag 24, secured to upright bars 25 ol" the frame 10 and extending over the bagsil .12, said gas-bag .24 being of any suitable dimensions and of approxinmtel) wedge shape-- '1'. u. very narrow al the edges, wit h the thickesl point at ill(((lll(l. (rho gas-bag 24 is conslrucled on similar principles to the gas-l .-1gs ll If. 1 4:, it is so supported that the botiom wall thereof ison an upproxiinnlciv lnn'izonlal "plane. while the wedge formation is obtained by sloping-Hie, top wall from the outer edge olg lhe gas-bag. I may also emplo smaller supplemental gns-bngs 2o, arranged just over ilnncabin. l I

In practice by. forming the bottom wall of thefgnsding on an app:oxiinnrel wh rizontal plane lll improved :nr-ship in its lligln possesses m.-1n of llic clnil'zn-li-ristil-s ol' the aeroplane, lhe horizontal surface thus Secured lending lo :nld lo the buoyancy olthc ship, \Yhen prepared for n llighl. the ship rests 1 upon the ground. as ilhislrnied in Fig. I.

When the ropellers 23 are put in motion, the ship is orced forward, and this forward movement has the effect of straightening the legs or bars 1.9 to a perpendicular, thus .elevating the forward endorgbow, whereupon the full benefits of the aeroplane qualities are secured. The elevation of the forward end is assisted by propeller 21-. When the additional gags-bag 24 is em loyed, the diri ible bodies ving horizonta under faces com inc for the accommodation ofpassengers or freight by the gas-bags, so that the only. resistance to the air-currents is that afforded by the gas-bags themselves. At the same time the same does not interfere with the buoyancy of the ship. The latter is also bal anced in its flight by the depending ballastframe, which being formed of metallic bars which are widely separated, affords practically no resistance to the air. It will also be observed that I have provided means for assisting the ship in its initial elevating move\ ment and that the same is readily propelled. By employing aplurality of gas-bags in lieu of one great bag I render my im roved air ship practically immune from su den falling by reason of the collapse of the supporting gas-bag. By virtue of my construction one or more of the gas-bags may collapse, and yet the others would still retain suflicient buoyancy tosupport the ship or at least permit the same to'slowly descend without injury to the passengers or cargo.

I claim as my -invention- .1'. An air-ship comprising a plurality of wedge-shaped gas-bags, the bottom walls of whichare flat, said gas-bags being arranged ina group with the bottom walls on a horizontal plane and presenting the thin or narrow edge to the outside of the group in all directlons.

2'. An air-ship comprising a plurality of wedge-shaped gas-bags the bottom walls of which are flat, said gas-bags being arranged in a group with the bottom walls on a horizontal plane and presenting the thin or narrow edges to the outside of the group in all directions, the thicker portions of the gas-bags being arranged to form the walls of an inclosed space.

3. An air-shipcomprising a plurality of wedge-shaped gas-bags the bottom walls of which are fiat, said gas-bags being arranged in a group with the bottom walls on a hori- 'zontal plane and presenting the thin or narrow edges to the outside of the group in all di rections, the thicker portions of the gas-bags I being arranged to form the walls of an in closed space having longitudinal passagewaysleading therefrom.

4. An air-ship comprisin a frame, a plurality of wedge-shaped gasags secured in agroup around said frame with the bottom walls on' a horizontal plane and presenting the thin or narrowedgesto the outside in all directions, and a ballast-frame depending from the first-mentioned frame.

5. An air-ship comprising a frame, a plu rality of'wedge-shaped gas-bags connected thereto, said gas-bags being arranged in -agroup with the bottom walls on a horizontal plane and presenting the thin or narrow edges to the outside in all directions, a propeller for-imparting an upward tendency to the forward end of the ship, and means for imparting an initial upward tilt to the forward end of the ship at the commencement of its flight.

6. An airship comprisinga frame, a plurality of wedge-shaped gas-bags connected thereto, said gas-bags being arranged in a group with the bottom walls on a horizontal plane and presenting the thin or narrow ed es to pe ler for imparting an upward tendency to the forward end of the ship, and'pivoted legs or members for imparting an initialupward tilt to the forward end of the ship at the com:

.mencement of its flight.

7 A11 air-ship comprising a frame, a plurality'of wedge-shaped gas-bags connected thereto, said gas-bags being arranged in a group with the bottom walls on a horizontal plane and presenting the thin or narrow ed es to the outside in all directions, a prope ler for imparting an upward tendency to end of the ship, and pivoted-legs 9nd of the ship, the

the forward arranged adjacent each legs adjacent the forward end being longer than those at the rear, whereby an initial -up ward tilt is given to the forward end of the ship at the commencement of its flight.-

8. An air-ship comprising a frame, a p'lurality of'wedge-shaped gas-bags arranged in a group around.'said frame, with the thin edges presented to the outside in all directions, a propeller for imparting an upward tendency to the forward end of the ship, and means for imparting an initial'upward tilt to the forward end of the ship at'the commencement of its flight.

9. An air-ship comprising a frame, a. plurality of wedge-shaped gas-bags arranged in a group around said frame, with the thin edges presented to the outside in all directions, a supplemental wedge-shaped gas-bag secured to said frame above the first-mentioned gas-bags, a propeller for imparting an upward tendency to the ship, and means for imparting an initial upward tilt to the ship at the commencement of its flight.

10. An air-ship comprising a frame, a plurality of gas-bags of wedge shape arranged in a group around said frame, said bags beingarranged to present their thin edges to the outside in all directions and withltheir bottom Walls arranged on a horizontal plane, a propeller for imparting an upward tendency to the forward end of the ship, a depending lng Witnesses.

GEORGE. WEST BYRON. Witnesses:

WM. S. HoDGEs, H. JOSEPH DOYLE. 

